Two Doors to the Right
by WaffleDogOfficial
Summary: A series of one-shots set in the Through Your Door AU.
1. Naruto (7): The One Where Nobody Wins

**In which the Konoha children prepare for the end of the year.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Just so you know, we will have our final exams next week," Iruka announced after they returned from lunch. "We will have the written exams throughout the week, then the physical benchmark test on Saturday morning."

Naruto beamed at his teacher, already excited at the prospect of showing off his skills.

"Benchmarks?" one of the boys asked, some kid with long brown hair Naruto had never talked to.

"The same as what we did at the beginning of the year," their teacher explained. "We want to see how much progress, if any, you've done over the past year. Once the exams are finished, we will have two weeks off for spring break. When we come back, that will be the start of your second year."

From the other side of the room, Naruto glared at Sasuke with a smirk on his face. He could tell that Sasuke could feel his gaze because the other boy tensed. _Prepare to lose this time, jerk._

"Will the events be the same, Iruka-sensei?" a girl with blonde hair asked. _I think her name is Ino?_

Iruka nodded. "Yes. We expect to see at least some advancement in your skills. If we don't, it means you need to train more during your free time."

"So when is the test thingy, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked excitedly, leaning forward in his desk.

"Next Saturday," he answered. "We start at nine in the morning, so you all need to arrive on time, do you hear me?" He sent Naruto a pointed glare, but Naruto only shrugged with a smile.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," the entire class responded.

Satisfied, Iruka went back to class, starting a lecture about chakra and how it worked. Naruto pretended to listen. On the inside, he could only think about how he would defeat Sasuke in the points total. _I have to make my New Year's wish come true, ya know!_

**O-O-O-O-O**

Hinata pushed her fingertips together and bit her lip as she turned her gaze back and forth between the two boys yelling in front of her.

Once they had left the Academy and gone to their familiar training area, Naruto and Sasuke had broken out into arguing. Both were shouting about how much better they would be than the other. While she stayed out of their rivalry, Hinata was beginning to wonder if she should speak up. She looked at their verbal fight as her frown deepened.

"You're going to lose, you hear me?" Naruto shouted. "I've been getting better and better and you're just a loser!"

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah right," he said. While his voice was quieter, his words were equally angry. "You can only beat me in a spar when you get lucky."

"Um... Naruto-kun? Sasuke-kun?" Hinata tried to interrupt, but the two boys brushed her aside as they glared daggers at each other.

"Prepare to lose, jerk!"

"Make me, loser!"

Hinata couldn't take it anymore. They had been going in circles since they left the Academy. Instead of their usual training, they had spent the last half-hour yelling at each other.

"Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun!" she snapped, raising her voice for the first time.

At once, the two boys turned to her, frowns on their faces. She felt her face heat up but she refused to look away from them. _I need to get them to stop fighting._

"Oh... um... it's just..." Despite her earlier conviction, she fidgeted. She swallowed and forced herself to speak as she kept her eyes focused on her training partners. "It's just that we're losing time arguing about something that hasn't happened yet," she said. "We haven't done any training today."

"Oh, yeah, sorry, Hinata-chan," Naruto said. Repentant, he scratched the back of his neck with a grin on his face.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted and looked away. While he didn't apologize, Hinata could tell that he felt chastened at her words.

"So... um... why don't we train some?" Hinata asked, trying to get the boys to focus.

"I guess it's not the worst idea," Sasuke admitted. Hinata felt her heart filling with hope.

"Yeah, but..." Naruto dashed her dreams as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and pondered her suggestion. "I don't want to train with this guy anymore, ya know! What if he copies my awesome techniques?"

Sasuke snorted. "I could say the same to you, loser."

To Hinata's dismay, another argument broke out, that time about stealing techniques. She huffed in exasperation and left the training grounds, frustrated. _At this point, I might as well train alone._

"Wait, Hinata-chan, where are you going?" Naruto asked when he finally noticed her walking away, voice perplexed.

"Home," she said. She was almost surprised when her voice was full of anger, but she was too annoyed to care. "My time would be better spent training alone."

"Wait!" To her surprise, it was Sasuke who spoke out first and ran after her. She turned to him, a grimace on her face. _What does he want now?_

"Don't leave, Hinata-chan," Naruto begged, running to her side next to Sasuke.

"Yeah!" Sasuke added.

"I need your gentle fist style to practice dodging, ya know!" Naruto said, and Sasuke nodded. Hinata might have been more surprised about their agreement if she weren't so angry.

Her frown deepened. "Figure it out yourselves," she said. Without any other words, she left, walking in the direction back to the Hyuuga compound. Even without the Byakugan active, she could tell Sasuke and Naruto were gaping after her.

When she returned to the compound gates, she was greeted by Ko, guarding the entrance. "Hinata-sama," he asked, surprised. "You usually return later in the day. Did something happen?"

"Boys are stupid!" she answered with a scowl.

Ko took a step back. He opened his mouth as if to speak before closing it. Without any other words, he let her inside. She felt his gaze on her back as she walked toward her room.

She passed her father on the way. She nodded respectfully at him before continuing to her destination. However, when he saw the look on her face, he paused.

"Hinata?" he asked. Hinata turned around to meet her father's eyes. She tried to school her face into neutrality but the stupid argument between the two boys was still at the forefront of her mind.

"What is it, Father?" she asked, voice angry.

Her father raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay, Hinata? You seem upset."

Hinata bit her lip. She hadn't talked much to her father about her training with Naruto and Sasuke. Since the end of summer vacation, he hadn't taken her for training sessions either. _Still, he's my father. Maybe I should tell him..._

"Boys are stupid!" she declared, using the same words from earlier.

Her father raised a second eyebrow. "Why do you say that?" he asked after a few seconds of consideration.

"They only care about beating each other up instead of improving," she explained. "Sasuke-kun kept yelling about how he would get the top score. I just wanted to train!"

"You didn't do any training today?" he asked.

Hinata shook her head and looked at the ground, biting her lip. Ever since they had started sparring together, she had seen a large improvement in her skills. While she was still slower than both Naruto and Sasuke, she her throwing accuracy, endurance, and stamina had greatly improved.

"Would you..." her father began before pausing. She looked up at him. To her surprise, her father swallowed nervously before speaking his next words.

"What is it, Father?" she asked.

"Would you like to show me what you have been doing during your training sessions?" he asked.

Hinata blinked up at her father. She gaped at him as she absorbed his words. He had never asked her to show him her progress before. She smiled and nodded her head, her earlier mood fading.

"Of course, Father," she said. Without another word, they walked to the training dojo together. Hinata knew she still had a lot of work to do and a lot to improve. But for the moment, she wanted to show her father everything she had learned.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked. He walked toward where Hinata sat alone near the front of the class. It was early in the morning and the only other student present was some boy wearing sunglasses.

She turned her gaze to him and Sasuke, who stood behind him, before looking away, an angry pout on her face. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and ignored both of them. Naruto shuffled his feet. _Yeah, we probably deserve that._

"Hinata-chan?" he tried again as they walked to her side. "We're sorry."

"Sorry," Sasuke muttered.

She huffed and gave them her back.

"We should've just trained together yesterday, ya know," Naruto admitted. "We should've listened to you and you were right."

She continued to ignore them. He threw Sasuke a pleading glance, begging for help. Sasuke stepped forward, hands in his pockets.

"We've come to a decision," Sasuke said. "Until the benchmark tests are done, we will train on our own."

"Wait, alone?" Sasuke words got through to her and she spun around to look between him and Sasuke.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that way we won't argue about stealing techniques and junk, ya know. And we can prepare secret jutsu while we're alone too."

Hinata's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "So you decided this on your own?" she asked.

Naruto took a step back. "Well... sort of. If you want, you can still train with me."

"Or with me," Sasuke added.

Hinata looked between him and Sasuke, contemplating their words. To Naruto's relief, she smiled and nodded her head.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun," she said. "But I think until the tests are done, I'll train some more with my father. He was happy with the progress I've made so far. He told me he would teach me new techniques, too."

_New techniques? _Naruto tried not to feel jealous. He forced a smile on his face instead. "So we'll all train alone then!" he said.

"Sure!" she said with a gentle smile.

"Are we still going to have lunch together?" Naruto asked. His heart began beating faster in fear as he waited for her answer

"Of course!" she said. A heavy weight lifted from Naruto's stomach. "Just no talking about the exams, okay?"

Naruto nodded furiously. After making Hinata mad the day before, he didn't want her to ever stop speaking to him again. Not talking about fighting seemed like an easy compromise.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Well, kids, I guess it's almost time for the final results," Iruka said. He stared down at his clipboard and began to calculate the totals.

From across the arena, Naruto glared at Sasuke. Sasuke glared back. _I won this time, ya know! _

It was the end of the benchmark exams. They were faster, stronger, and more flexible than in their last attempt. However, the same as last time, Naruto and Sasuke had been almost evenly matched in all events. While Naruto had higher flexibility and endurance, Sasuke was still faster and stronger. In the end, it had come down to the sparring matches.

Naruto had hoped they would be paired up for their fights but that had not happened. Naruto had gone against Shikamaru instead. To his annoyance, the other boy had given up before Naruto even had the chance to enter the ring.

Sasuke, meanwhile, had been paired with Kiba. The other boy had been a worthy opponent. Kiba was fast, strong, and vicious, having amazing endurance. However, compared to Naruto, he was not as experienced. Sasuke had managed to take him down after a few minutes of fighting.

Hinata, to Naruto's joy, had also done very well. Slightly behind a girl named Ino, Hinata had done best out of all the kunoichi. She had surpassed most of the boys too, showing off her strength, speed, and agility without any issues.

In her fight, she had fought Sakura. To Naruto's shock, however, the pink-haired girl was weaker than he had imagined. Based on her perfect performance in their written exams, Naruto had expected her to be one of the strongest in their class. Instead, she had stood, uncertain, as she fought Hinata. Hinata had won in seconds, taking out Sakura without even using her Gentle Fist or Byakugan.

Sakura had looked at the edge of tears at the end of the match. Alone, she had stood by herself at the edge of the group, her bangs covering her eyes. Naruto had considered talking to her before getting called for his own match with Shikamaru.

"Is everybody listening?" Iruka asked, having finished counting the totals on his clipboard.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," the class muttered, nodding their head, exhausted. They panted, some collapsing to the ground, to listen for the final results.

"Good, in that case..." Iruka cleared his throat before making the announcements. "In first place, we have..." Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other, narrowing their eyes. "Naruto Uzumaki, with 759 points out of a total of 1000! In second place-"

Naruto cheered, cutting off Iruka. He pointed a finger at Sasuke and smirked. "In your face, jerk!" he shouted. From across the arena, he saw Sasuke glowering and clenching his jaw in anger. _Finally did better than you and you can't say I didn't!_

Iruka cleared his throat again, more annoyed than before. "Naruto..." Naruto turned to look up at him, a grin still plastered on his face.

"Eh?"

"Let me finish," Iruka said. Despite his smile, Naruto felt a cold shiver run down his back. He felt the blood leaving his face and he bowed his head down in apology.

"Yes, sensei!" he shouted with his head down. "I'm sorry!"

Iruka hummed, accepting the apology. "Thank you, Naruto. Now, as I was saying, in second place, we have Sasuke Uchiha with 714 out of 1000 points. In third place, Kiba Inuzuka with 693 points. In fourth place, Ino Yamanaka with 685 points. In fifth place, Hinata Hyuuga with 681 points. In..."

Naruto stopped listening. He turned his eyes back to Sasuke, who was scowling from the other side of the field, looking angrier than he ever had before. Naruto smirked at him. _My New Year's wish came true already! _

Giggling to himself, Naruto waited for Iruka to finish giving out the results. At his side, Hinata was smiling, glad to be among the top five students in the class. Meanwhile, Sasuke only had eyes for Naruto, glaring at him in fury.

As soon as Iruka finished talking, Sasuke ran to where Hinata and Naruto were standing. "What was that?" he shouted. "How could you have gotten a better score?"

Naruto smirked. "I guess I'm just better than you," he boasted. Sasuke grimaced in response.

"Um... Sasuke-kun..." Hinata began to say before she quieted. Nervous, she pushed the tips of her fingers together and looked down. "I... um... I will see you two soon. I have to tell my father about my results. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Sasuke said without sparing her a glance.

"See you later, Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled, a grin on his face. Relieved, Hinata ran away from the upcoming argument, not looking back.

"There is no way your score was _that _much higher than mine," Sasuke whined. "We were matched the entire time!"

_He finally admitted we're at the same level!_ "Hey! I didn't make the scores! Iruka-sensei did! If you have a problem, ask him!"

Sasuke's eyes widened as he turned his gaze in search of their teacher. He found Iruka in seconds, as the man was returning to the classroom. Around them, the rest of the students were dispersing.

"Fine," Sasuke grunted. "I'll make Iruka-sensei check everything. There's no way you did _that _much better than me."

Naruto rolled his eyes but nodded his head in assent. "Fine. He's just going to tell you the same thing I did, ya know!" _Sasuke is so stubborn._

With that, Sasuke began walking to their classroom. Naruto followed at his heels, hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. _You're just jealous cause I did better than you for once!_

"Iruka-sensei!" Sasuke shouted as he stepped inside the classroom and headed toward Iruka's desk. "Why does Naruto have a higher point total than me?"

Seated at his desk, Iruka breathed out a heavy sigh before looking down at the two boys. "Is it really that important, Sasuke-kun? Can't this wait for when we come back?"

Sasuke shook his head furiously. "It can't!" he insisted. "I need to know why Naruto got first place instead of me!"

Iruka groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He seemed to realize nothing could make Sasuke relent because he pulled out the clipboard from earlier. "All right, boys, I can check with you."

Sasuke nodded, satisfied for the moment. "What was it that made Naruto get ahead?" he asked. Naruto took a step closer, curious despite himself.

"Well, boys, when you have an event, you get a certain number of points depending on the challenge and your performance. For the sprint, for example, you can get a maximum of twenty points," he explained. "Based on your time, we calculated a score. Sasuke." He turned toward Sasuke. "You got seventeen points for the sprint while Naruto got sixteen."

Naruto nodded his head. _Makes sense so far. _At his side, Sasuke also appeared satisfied with the explanation. "So where did I do better?" Naruto asked. Standing with the results in front of them, Naruto was curious to learn more.

Iruka scanned the clipboard, checking through the different tasks from earlier. "Well, Naruto, you did better at anything that required a lot of endurance and flexibility. You were also quite talented with kunai. On the other hand, Sasuke got more points with tasks related to strength and speed."

Both Naruto and Sasuke nodded. _We already knew that, Iruka-sensei._

"What was the tie-breaker?" Sasuke asked, taking a step closer to Iruka's desk. He peered over the clipboard to glare at the results.

Iruka sighed again. "The tie-breaker was the spar."

"Spar?" Naruto asked. He tilted his head to the side in confusion. _But I didn't even fight anyone!_ At his side, Sasuke raised an eyebrow, seemingly just as confused as Naruto.

Iruka leaned back on his chair with a groan. "Spars are weighed a little differently," he began. "For the spars, every fight has a total of 100 points that are distributed between the two participants. Depending on their respective performances, we give a different quantity of points to one opponent over the other."

"Distributed between the two?" Sasuke repeated, voice sounding confused. "You mean..."

Iruka nodded his head. "Yes. Let's say that the spar ends in an equal draw. In that case, one opponent will receive 50 points while their opponent also receives 50. However, when one person is much better than the other, they may get 90 points while their opponent gets 10."

Naruto's pulse quickened as he thought of what that meant. "Wait... but what about Shikamaru?" he asked. "He gave up without fighting me, ya know!"

"In that case, we give all 100 points to the person who didn't give up. In this case, he gave all of his points to you."

"What!?" Naruto and Sasuke shouted simultaneously. They scowled at each other once they realized they had spoken at the same time.

"You mean I only got a higher total cause Shikamaru gave up?" Naruto continued. At his side, Sasuke looked as annoyed as he felt.

Iruka gave a long-suffering sigh before leaning further back on his chair. "Yes," he admitted. "Shikamaru's surrender was one of the main reasons why you got the top spot. Sasuke's fight with Kiba was more equal, so Sasuke got 61 points and Naruto 100.

"So without the fights, I got a higher score?" Sasuke asked. Iruka nodded in assent.

"And last year?" Naruto asked. He remembered being behind Sasuke by only three points. _You mean I actually did better than him and I lost only cause Shikamaru was too lazy to fight!?_

Iruka shrugged. "I don't remember the results from the top of my head right now," he said. "But I remember Naruto got something like 90 points in his match while Sasuke got 100. That's why the gap was so small last time."

Naruto and Sasuke took a step back, their previous gloating forgotten. _You mean to tell me the only reason I won this time is cause of Shikamaru!? And last time Sasuke!? I'm gonna kill him!_

Annoyed, Naruto and Sasuke shared conspiratorial glances. Angry, they said goodbye to Iruka and headed to the Uchiha compound, complaining.

**O-O-O-O-O**

On the first day back, Shikamaru lounged forward in his seat, pressing his forehead on the table. He yawned and waited for the class to begin. At his side, Chouji ate his potato chips, staring off into the distance and thinking of nothing. The class had yet to begin and only a boy wearing sunglasses was also there.

_Then everyone else comes in and it gets troublesome._

He started to drift asleep. However, when he was on the edge of consciousness, two hands hit his desk, startling him awake. Annoyed, he looked up to stare at the faces of Naruto and Sasuke. He blinked.

Naruto looked furious, teeth bared and eyebrows furrowed. At his side, Sasuke's face remained composed, but an aura of fury and hate surrounded him. For some reason Shikamaru could not understand, they were looking at him as if he had done something wrong.

"What?" Shikamaru asked, not bothering to suppress a yawn.

"You gave up on the fight with me!" Naruto shouted, pointing a finger at him. At his side, Sasuke nodded. He seemed equally annoyed by Shikamaru's surrender for some reason.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in confusion. "So?"

"I got more points because you gave up!" Naruto yelled, leaning forward until he was only a few inches away from Shikamaru's face. At his side, Sasuke nodded once more.

"Huh?"

"If you give up next time we fight, I'll make sure you never get easy missions when I'm Hokage!" Naruto threatened. With that, he walked away, Sasuke at his side.

Shikamaru stared at them in confusion. _Did I do something?_

He stared at Chouji at his side, but the other boy only shrugged and continued to eat. Shikamaru sighed and placed his forehead down on the desk again. _Why is everything so troublesome?_

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: Poor Shino just gets ignored. He doesn't even have a name. He's just "a boy wearing sunglasses."**

**This was going to be in the main story of "Through Your Door" until I realized it didn't have a lot of plot significance. I already wrote it though, so I thought, "Hey, might as well publish it!" So here it is! Hope you enjoyed the ride**

**If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites**

**Updates for this story will be very sporadic. If you have any ideas of stuff to write, feel free to send me **_**inspiration **_**through the comments and/or through Tumblr. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Mikoto (26): Where Mikoto Cuts Hair

**In which Mikoto gives Itachi a haircut.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Itachi, it's time," Mikoto ordered. On the floor surrounded by toys, Itachi froze and his eyes widened in fear.

"But, Mom, you cut my hair three days ago!" he argued, already looking at the edge of tears.

"I cut your hair three weeks ago," she replied, amused at the obvious lie.

"No! Last week!"

Mikoto sighed. Itachi was more mature, thoughtful, and patient than any other four-year-old child had the right to be. Yet, whenever it was time for a haircut, her son behaved like any other: crying and pleading to stop.

"You're leaving with your father tomorrow," she said, trying to reason with the boy. "Would you prefer that I cut your hair or your father?"

At that, Itachi froze. His lip was quivering and his eyes were shiny with unshed tears, but Mikoto knew she had won. Itachi hated cutting his hair, but he also knew a haircut from his father would only end in disaster. Reluctantly, Itachi stood up from the floor and walked toward her.

Mikoto knelt down, cupping her son's face in her hands. With her thumb, she wiped away a tear before it could fall. "It's going to be fine, Itachi," she reassured him with a smile. "It'll be done faster than you think, I promise."

Itachi nodded, a second tear rolling down his cheek. Mikoto hummed to herself before pulling Itachi in for a hug. She heard her son's breath hitching as he wrapped his tiny arms around her neck and sobbed. She ran her hands through his hair, longer than she liked, as he cried at the injustice.

"Come on, Itachi, it's the same thing every time," she said. "I'll be gentle, I promise." Her son nodded again, forcing himself to hold back another sob. With tears rolling down his face, he took a step back and looked up at her, eyes scared yet determined.

"I'm ready," he mumbled.

Mikoto stood up. She grabbed Itachi's hand and led him down the hall toward the garden. He sat down at the edge of the deck as she took out a pair of scissors from her apron.

"Are you excited to go with your father to see what it's like to be a shinobi?" she asked as she knelt behind him. Fugaku had promised to take him around and show him one of the campgrounds. While Mikoto was uncertain about Fugaku taking their son near the frontlines, she knew Itachi would be safe in his father's care. _The war is over anyway._

"Yeah," Itachi murmured, voice breaking. "Dad says he's going to show me around. He says there's a lot of strong shinobi over there."

Mikoto nodded, snipping at the first lock of hair. "There are," she agreed. "Minato-kun is one of the strongest ones, remember? He's back in the village now."

"Really? He's really cool! Do you think I'll be as strong as him one day?" Itachi asked, voice excited.

Mikoto sighed in relief. Talking about Minato always served to cheer up her son, no matter the situation. "If you work hard, I think it's more than possible." She stopped cutting to whisper in Itachi's ear. "I hear he's going to be the next Hokage."

"Really?" Itachi asked, kicking his legs back and forth in the air in excitement. "Why not Dad? Isn't he the strongest person?"

Mikoto hummed to herself before answering. "Your father is very strong," she admitted. "But Minato-kun is maybe even stronger. Your father is a very good shinobi, but he already has a lot of things to do. Did you know he's the leader of the police department? And he has to take care of the Uchiha clan, too."

"I heard some uncles talking about it," Itachi confessed. "They said Dad should be the next Hokage. They said Minato-san is not as strong as Dad. Then they said Dad should talk to the Sandaime and tell him to make Dad the next Hokage."

Mikoto frowned, cutting off another lock of hair. _Itachi is already too involved with clan affairs._

"Don't pay too much attention to them," she ordered. "Your father is not upset and he thinks Minato-kun is a good choice for Hokage, too. When you come back from the mission with your father, we can have lunch together with Minato-kun and Kushina. You can ask him about becoming the Hokage yourself. What do you think about that?"

Itachi hummed in assent. While her son had met both Minato and Kushina, they had not spent a lot of time together because of their respective duties._ With the war done, I can have them over more often._ The thought sent a wave of happiness coursing through her body.

Mikoto trimmed the last lock of hair before leaning back and inspecting her handiwork. To her relief, Itachi's hair was evenly trimmed, short enough to be out of the way during training.

"I'm done!" she declared, placing the scissors back into her pocket. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Itachi blinked. With that, he broke out into fresh sobs as he remembered how distressed he was. Mikoto chuckled to herself. _I think he forgot he was supposed to be upset._

Mikoto moved to sit at her son's side on the deck. She pulled him over to sit on her lap, wrapping her arms around him. Without hesitation, Itachi let himself be pulled, burrowing his face into her shoulder as he cried. She rubbed the palm of her hand over her son's back, rocking him like she used to do when he was much, much younger.

She held her son until his crying stopped completely. Despite calming down, he kept his tiny fists holding tight onto her dress.

"Are you okay, Itachi?" she asked with a smile. She felt him nod into her shoulder.

"In that case, why don't you go play?" she suggested. He nodded again.

Almost reluctantly, he left the safety of her lap as he stood up, wiping the tears away from his eyes. He sniffled one last time before running down the hall and back to his bedroom, waving goodbye as he left.

Mikoto sighed to herself in fond exasperation. Her son was more mature and perceptive than any other child she had ever met. Still, the moments when he acted his age were her favorite. She knew she would miss him while he was with Fugaku._ At least I'll be able to spend some time with Kushina while he's gone._

**O-O-O-O-O**

Itachi and Fugaku returned from the frontline two weeks later, both completely unharmed. While Itachi was quieter than usual, Mikoto took it as a sign that Fugaku had explained some of the serious matters that came with being a shinobi. She remembered her first time learning to make a fire and it still brought back traumatic memories of her childhood. _Father kept yelling at me. I'm sure Fugaku was kinder._

"What are you doing, Itachi?" She knelt down next to her son, who was lying on the floor drawing something in his notebook.

"I'm writing," he answered, face impassive.

She blinked. Sure enough, Itachi was practicing kanji. Despite his age, the characters were clear and evenly spaced.

Mikoto hummed to herself, deep in thought. "That's very good," she said. "Have you been practicing a lot?"

Itachi nodded, not looking up from his work. Mikoto frowned before moving her hand to comb through his hair, already longer than she liked.

"How many characters do you know now?" she asked, trying to get her son to talk.

"One hundred and twenty-seven," Itachi answered.

_That many already?_ Her eyes widened. Mikoto bit her lip, not sure what to say to that. She hummed to herself before speaking again.

"I'm going to meet Kushina for lunch," she said to redirect the conversation. "You can talk to Minato-kun and ask him questions. I know you wanted to before. I think I need to cut your hair first, though."

At that, Itachi stopped writing. His eyes widened and he balled his hands into tiny fists. "Okay," he said.

"Okay?" Mikoto repeated, taken aback. She waited for her son to break out into tears or beg for a delay, but it didn't come. Instead, Itachi stared resolutely at his hands, obviously upset and trying not to show it. He exhaled and relaxed his fists.

"I'm ready, Mother," he said, setting the pencil down and standing up. He stared at her, eyes full of calm determination.

"Oh... uh... okay." _Mother? What happened to 'Mom'?_

Taken aback, Mikoto stood up, holding her hand for Itachi to take. He ignored the gesture, walking away and heading outside instead. Mikoto swallowed before following behind him, clenching her offered hand into a fist. _Well, that's a first._

When she arrived at the deck, Itachi was already sitting on the edge, face impassive as he waited for her. Mikoto knelt behind him, surprised to not receive any pushback. She took out her scissors and grabbed the first lock of hair.

"Are you happy to be back home, Itachi?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered, face emotionless.

"Your father told me you did well at the frontlines," she continued as she cut more of his hair. "What was it like?"

She saw Itachi biting his lip before answering, the first sign of distress she had seen since they sat down. "It was fine," he replied.

Mikoto frowned to herself. Itachi was a quiet child, but his behavior was starting to confuse and frustrate her. "We're going to Kushina's for lunch," she said, trying to get him to talk. "Minato-kun is going to be there. I already asked."

"Okay."

"Are you excited to see Minato-kun? You can ask him anything you want." She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "If you ask nicely, he might even teach you a new technique."

"Okay."

Mikoto's frown deepened. Her son had been acting strange since he returned with Fugaku. She had thought it came from learning about shinobi duties, but she was starting to wonder if it was more serious than that._ I need to talk to Fugaku about this._ They lapsed into silence as Mikoto cut his hair, not sure what to say.

"I'm done," she said as she trimmed the last lock and inspected her work.

"Thank you, Mother," Itachi muttered. He stood up and walked away, heading back to where his notebook and pencil were waiting.

Mikoto's eyes widened in surprise and she chewed on her lip. "We'll leave in half an hour," she called out. "We'll return in the afternoon."

"Yes, Mother," Itachi answered, opening the sliding door and walking back inside.

Concerned, Mikoto stood up, placing the scissors back into her pocket as she did so. She stared at the door where Itachi had passed through with a frown. Not sure what else to do, she walked to her own room to get ready.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Fugaku was standing in front of the dresser, taking off his uniform after returning from patrol. Her husband sighed as he undressed, placing his uniform and armor neatly on the surface. He caught of glimpse of Mikoto's reflection in the mirror before turning around.

"Mikoto," he greeted with a smile.

Mikoto frowned in response. She walked to her husband's side and helped him untie the breastplate. "Fugaku, we need to talk," she said.

"Talk? About what?" She saw Fugaku's eyebrows contract into a frown and heard a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"It's about... Itachi," she answered. "And... other things." Mikoto finished untying the breastplate, taking it off and placing it on the counter with the rest of the armor.

"Ah, Itachi." Relieved, Fugaku stretched tired muscles, trying to relieve some of the tension that came from wearing armor all day. "What happened with Itachi?"

Mikoto bit her lip. "He's been acting stranger than usual," she began. "You know how he hates getting his hair cut?" Fugaku nodded, walking to sit at the edge of the bed with an exhausted sigh. "Well, today, when I told him he needed a haircut, he just let me do it. Didn't even try to resist."

"Isn't that good?" Fugaku asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "He needs to understand that he can't always get what he wants. Sometimes you need to make sacrifices in life."

Mikoto shook her head. "It's not just that. Itachi just... seemed to go away when I tried talking to him," she said. "He doesn't talk to me anymore. And when I took him for lunch with Kushina and Minato-kun, he was withdrawn the entire time. He didn't even ask Minato-kun for any stories! It's just..." she sat down at her husband's side, holding his hands in hers. "I'm worried that something happened while he was with you."

"What do you mean something happened?" Fugaku asked, a hint of anger in his tone. "Are you saying I can't keep our son safe?"

Mikoto shook her head again. "Did someone say anything to him?" She bit her lip before continuing. "I... I can't believe that he would be so different after learning about shinobi protocol and stuff. If anything, I thought he would come back and beg to never be a ninja."

Fugaku closed his eyes, exhaling heavily. Mikoto's heart seemed to freeze as she felt a confession coming._ What happened to our son?_

"I took Itachi to the battlefield," Fugaku confessed. "I wanted him to see the results of the war."

She bolted up, staring down at her husband and covering her mouth in horror. "You... what!? Our son... on the battlefield? But.. he's just a child!"

"I know," Fugaku said, meeting her eyes calmly.

"What? Why?" Mikoto asked, feeling tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes.

She saw Fugaku swallow nervously before answering. "I needed to show him the realities of war," he explained. "He needed to see the reality of the world he would live in as a shinobi and as a member of the Uchiha clan. I knew he would either break or become stronger. Based on what you told me, our son is more mature than ever before."

Mikoto felt the tears falling down her face. In numb horror, she took a step back, wanting to get away from the man she called her husband. _Itachi... he's so young. Too young to see that._

"Mikoto!" Upon seeing her tears, Fugaku stepped forward and tried to grab at her hands in comfort.

Mikoto pushed him back. "Get away from me!" she screamed, feeling her breath hitch in her throat. "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

Fugaku froze, his fingertips only a few inches away from her face.

She pushed past him and sat down at the edge of the bed, weeping into the palms of her hands, sobbing harder than she had since she was a child. When Itachi was born, she had wanted her son to grow up in a time of peace and prosperity. _But now my wishes are ruined. If only I could turn back time._

"Mikoto..." Fugaku began. She heard him swallow before taking a step closer. "What did you think I was going to do with him? Why do you think I took him with me to the frontlines?"

She refused to look in his direction. "The war is over, Fugaku!" she shouted, voice full of fury and despair. "I thought you were going to tell him how to make camp and about taking good care of weapons! I didn't want you to infect our son with our family's fucking bullshit!"

Fugaku froze. Mikoto could tell he was surprised at her use of foul language. She shook her head. _And just like that, our family legacy continues. Will there ever be an Uchiha that's not traumatized?_

"Mikoto..." he called out her name again before taking a step closer. When she didn't protest, he sat beside her on the bed, placing the palm of his hand on her shoulder. She shuddered but didn't push him away.

"Go away," she protested. "I don't want to talk to you right now. I can't believe you would do that to our son."

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I... I didn't think you would take it so badly. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "I don't forgive you," she said. "I _can't _forgive you."

"I..." Fugaku swallowed, lost for words.

"Itachi deserved better!" she cried, turning around and staring into Fugaku's eyes. "How can we call ourselves parents when we can't protect him at all?" Her voice broke at the last word and she broke out into fresh sobs, crying into her palms once again.

"I'm sorry," Fugaku repeated. "We'll do better next time." She glared at him. "_I'll_ do better next time. You know I only wanted to protect our son. I wanted to make him stronger."

Mikoto wiped the tears from her eyes. "After what your father did to you... and what my father did to me, I never believed you would do that to our own son."

Fugaku tensed at those words, hands balling into fists. "It's not the same thing," he argued. "I didn't... I didn't force Itachi to... to..." he swallowed, too afraid to finish the sentence.

"Kill someone?" Mikoto commented bitterly. "Well, if that's the case, then I guess looking at dead, mangled bodies is nothing in comparison."

Fugaku clenched his jaw but didn't refute her words. "Itachi is a natural prodigy," he argued. "It was the only way to ensure he learned."

Mikoto rolled her eyes and snorted. "There are many ways to learn, Fugaku. You've taken one of the worst options."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I thought it was the best thing to do. I need our son to be the strongest in our clan."

"He would have been strong anyway," Mikoto muttered. "You're his father. He would have been just like you." She wiped her tears with her forearm. "What I would give to turn back time."

Defeated and with no other choice, she placed her head on Fugaku's shoulder. Automatically, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. She let him.

"We'll get through this," Fugaku whispered in her ear. "Itachi is resilient. He's a good boy, and kind. And he has you."

"Us," Mikoto corrected. "He has us."

"He does," he agreed.

The two of them fell silent, having nothing else to say to each other. They sat together like that for nearly an hour, when Mikoto remembered the other piece of news. _At least this one is not so bad._

"Fugaku?" He grunted to show he was listening. "There's one other thing."

"What is it?" he asked, voice exhausted.

"I'm pregnant."

Fugaku tightened his grip on her, pulling her closer until she was almost sitting on his lap. "W-what? You are? Since when? How long have you known?"

His voice was full of amazement and desperation. His reaction when she announced her first pregnancy had been almost the same. Mikoto hummed to herself before answering.

"I'm probably around 6 or 7 weeks along," she answered. "I only thought about the possibility today after I saw Kushina. She's thinking about trying for a baby herself."

"Is she?"

Mikoto nodded. "I took the test as soon as I got home. We... need to confirm it with the doctor, but I'm sure it's accurate."

"Itachi is going to have a little brother," Fugaku muttered.

"Or sister."

"Or sister," he agreed. He kissed the top of her head, shy despite being married for almost seven years.

"Take better care of this next one," she ordered.

"I will," he promised, pulling her head on top of his chest.

They sat together side by side, not knowing what else they could say.

**O-O-O-O-O**

"Itachi, it's time," Mikoto said, walking toward her son. He was throwing shuriken at the training posts, his aim accurate and confident.

Itachi paused, shuriken in his hand before turning around to look up at her. He nodded, face an emotionless mask, as he put the weapon back in his pouch. Without saying anything else, he walked past her and headed back inside. She followed him to the deck, where he waited, sitting on the edge.

Mikoto bit her lip. Despite trying to make his life as normal as possible in the past few weeks, Itachi was still too quiet. He rarely played with his toys anymore and he seemed more interested in training than being a child.

Reluctantly, she knelt behind Itachi, combing her fingers through his soft hair. As usual, she took out the scissors from her pocket and moved them toward his hair. She paused.

"Do you want to grow your hair out?" she asked, moving the scissors away from her son and back into her pocket. She felt Itachi's back straighten as he turned around, eyes wide. "I won't cut it today if you don't want me to."

"I can stop cutting my hair?" Itachi asked, leaning forward in excitement. It was the most emotion she had seen in her son's eyes in the last couple of weeks. Her heart throbbed at the sight.

She forced a smile on her face. "If you want. I don't want to force you anymore."

"Really?"

"Really."

At that, Itachi grinned, the first true smile she had seen since coming back. It made her heart ache and she bit her lip to hold back the tears that were threatening to flow down her face. Overwhelmed, she pulled Itachi onto her lap, making her son gasp in surprise.

"You can go and play now," she whispered in his ear.

"I'm not playing," Itachi replied as he wiggled free. "I'm training." With those words, he left the safety of her embrace, running to the training grounds on the other side of the house.

When Mikoto was sure Itachi was far enough away, she broke. She sobbed into her hands, glad that no one was there to see.

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: I'm sorry. I wanted to update the main "Through Your Door" tonight but this scene would NOT leave my brain and begged to come out. The entire story of the Uchiha family just hurts my heart.**

**Feel free to talk to me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.**


	3. Naruto (7): The One With Adjustments

**The following scenes take place immediately after the events of Chapter 31/32 of **_**Through Your Door**_**.**

**In which the boys adjust to their new lives.**

**O-O-O-O-O**

Naruto walked down the stairs leading out of the Academy. He clutched one hand into a fist over his chest, trying to quell the disappointment building inside. With a sigh, he walked in the direction of the hospital, lost in thought.

He had gone to his apartment the night before for a shower and a change of clothes. Clean, he had snuck back into the hospital, staying at Sasuke's side for the rest of the night. The next day, Sasuke had shaken him awake and forced him to go to the Academy, making Naruto promise to pass the exam.

Despite Sasuke's encouragement, however, Naruto hadn't been able to answer a single question. _I'm a stupid idiot._

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he continued on his way, keeping his eyes trained on the ground in front of him. Before he knew it, he was standing at the entrance of the hospital. He hesitated for a second, wondering if he should sneak inside through his normal route, before remembering he had nothing to lose.

"Good afternoon, how may I-" The receptionist greeted him before stopping herself short. She scowled as Naruto walked to the front desk, keeping his face carefully controlled.

"What do you want?" she asked, her tone impatient and angry.

"I wanna see Sasuke," Naruto said. "I promised I'd stay with him tonight, ya know."

Her scowl deepened but she said nothing else. Naruto guessed she already knew about his habit of sneaking in from the nurse that brought in their meals. With a reluctant nod, she pulled out a clipboard and a pen.

Obediently, Naruto filled in the relevant information and handed the document back with a muttered thanks. She said nothing in return and he could feel her glare focused on his back as he walked away.

A few minutes later, Naruto stood in front of the door leading to Sasuke's hospital room. He took in a deep breath and forced a smile on his face before sliding the door open.

"Hn. So you're finally back, loser." Sasuke was sitting up in bed, cradling an open book between his hands. Despite the harsh tone, Naruto could hear a hint of relief in his voice.

"Nice to see you too, jerk," Naruto mumbled. He dropped off his bag and kicked off his shoes near the entrance before walking toward the bed.

Sasuke shifted to give him more space as Naruto joined his side. Naruto stared at him curiously. Sasuke's face was paler than usual, but he stared at Naruto with a small frown and a raised eyebrow.

"What are you reading?" Naruto asked as he peered over Sasuke's shoulder. "Where'd you get a book, anyway?"

"This?" Sasuke held up the book, showing off the cover, revealing unfamiliar kanji. "It's about genjutsu. I asked the nurse for something to read when she came by with lunch. It's something to pass the time with"

"Genjutsu?" Naruto couldn't remember Sasuke ever expressing much interest in that before. He knew genjutsu was a tradition in the Uchiha clan, but Sasuke hadn't seemed particularly interested in it.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. I... want to learn more about it. That..." He swallowed and looked away, his calm facade cracking. "Someone showed me a very strong genjutsu." He turned his attention back to the book in his hands.

"Oh. Okay."

With a grunt, Naruto lied down on his side, his back turned toward Sasuke, and looked out the window. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke lifting the book back up to read. Naruto said nothing else; if Sasuke wanted to read his book, he wasn't going to stop him. They sat together in silence, unsure of what they could say to each other.

"How'd you do on the exam anyway, loser?" Sasuke broke the silence first.

Naruto turned his head to look back. While Sasuke's eyes were fixed on the book in front of him, they were still, obviously reading nothing. He shrugged. "It was fine, I guess," he lied. "What did you do without me?"

At the question, Sasuke's face obtained a slight pink tint, but he continued pretending to read the book. "Nothing. I watched some TV after you left." He pointed to the television at the corner of the room, which they had ignored the past few days. "Then I just read."

"Oh, okay."

"Hn."

The room grew quiet as the two boys avoided each other's eyes.

"The Hokage came earlier today," Sasuke said after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Naruto sat up, spinning his head around in surprise. "Wait, really?"

Sasuke nodded. "I was more polite this time if that's what you wanted to know." He pouted at Naruto before closing his book and placing it on the bedside table.

"What did he say?" Naruto asked curiously. It was rare for him to see the Hokage except for the times he dropped off Naruto's allowance.

"He told me about where I'll be living," Sasuke answered, meeting Naruto's eyes. "He said tonight will be my last night here. He'll take me to my new apartment tomorrow."

"Oh, that's good, isn't it?" Naruto pasted a smile on his face.

Sasuke nodded his assent before turning his head away to stare at the wall, brow furrowed. Naruto felt his pulse quicken as he waited for the rest of Sasuke's revelations.

"Is that the only thing?" Naruto prodded when Sasuke remained quiet, leaning closer to him.

"And..." Sasuke swallowed. He glanced back at Naruto before turning his attention back to the wall. "He told me about getting the ashes."

"Ashes? What do ashes have to do with anything?" Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest in confusion. "Was there a fire or something?"

Sasuke grasped his blanket in shaking fists as his eyes glazed over.

"When a member of the Uchiha clan dies, we are cremated," he explained, voice quivering.

Naruto's frown deepened, still confused. "Huh? Cremated? What does that mean?"

Sasuke took a deep inhale, still keeping his gaze trained away from Naruto. "Cremation means our bodies are burned until only ashes remain." He paused to swallow as Naruto finally connected the dots.

"Y-you mean..." Naruto felt a shiver run down his back. He wanted to slap himself. He should have guessed what Sasuke was talking about from the beginning.

Sasuke only nodded in confirmation, looking relieved that Naruto had finally caught on. "And then we're interred in the Uchiha cemetery," he continued his explanation. "The Hokage... he told me he will take care of everything for me. I won't have to worry about any preparations."

"I-I see," Naruto said, unsure how else to respond.

He noticed Sasuke's eyes starting to shine, but neither of them said anything. They fell back into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"The Hokage said I can visit the Uchiha compound starting next month," Sasuke continued. "He said he didn't want me to go there now. Not until they finish the cleanup."

"Oh." Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I can go with you," he offered. "When it's time, ya know?"

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Thank you, Naruto," he muttered, turning back to him. His eyes were wet, but no tears fell.

"Y-you're welcome!" Naruto forced himself to grin at Sasuke, trying to provide some comfort. It seemed to be only somewhat successful because Sasuke gave him a wan smile in return.

With that, they turned away from each other, slightly embarrassed and with nothing else to say.

"Oh! Uh... you wanna watch some TV?" Naruto asked, pointing to the television they had been ignoring the entire time.

Sasuke shrugged and handed over the remote. "Sure."

Naruto pushed the power button and the television turned on. In silence, the two boys got lost in the moving images, saying nothing else until it was time for dinner.

**O-O-O-O-O**

On the first day of summer vacation, Naruto and Sasuke woke up next to each other as had become usual.

They ate breakfast side by side, watching some strange steel samurai show as they ate. While both found it ridiculous, they were unable to tear their eyes away once it started. When it ended, they talked about whatever came to mind, avoiding the obvious topics of conversation.

They were in the middle of a discussion about kenjutsu when they heard a knock on the door. Surprised, Naruto turned to look at the clock, but they had eaten breakfast only a few hours earlier.

At his side, Sasuke frowned. "Come in," he called out.

The door slid open to reveal the Third Hokage. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun," he said as he stepped inside. He paused, raising an eyebrow when he saw Naruto sitting next to Sasuke. "And hello to you too, Naruto-kun."

"Hi, Gramps!" Naruto greeted, forcing a grin on his face. He felt beads of sweat roll down his back in fear. _Please please please don't ask me about the exams._

"Hn," Sasuke grunted before crossing his arms in front of his chest. He met the Hokage's eyes in challenge. "Morning."

The old man only sighed at their contrasting reactions before walking toward them.

To Naruto's relief, he didn't look angry about seeing him in Sasuke's hospital room. If anything, the old man seemed relieved about something. Naruto felt a tiny amount of tension leaving his shoulders.

"We have finished setting up the apartment where you will be living, Sasuke-kun," the old man said.

"I see." Sasuke clutched his blanket in his fists. "Are we leaving now, then?"

The Hokage grunted his assent. "Yes. We have moved everything from your bedroom to your new place. You can arrange it however you want."

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you." He left the bed to stand in front of the Hokage. Naruto followed his lead and the two boys stood side by side, looking up at the old man.

The Hokage stared down at them with a curious frown. He rubbed his chin before turning around and walking out with a grunt. Naruto and Sasuke followed behind him, collecting their meager belongings at the door. Without a backward glance, the Hokage slid the door open once more. The two boys followed close behind him, saying nothing else.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke as they walked down the hallway. The other boy was clenching his jaw, shoulders tense. His hands were clenched into fists and shoved inside his pockets. He was staring blankly at the Hokage's back, following him in mute shock and grief.

Naruto bit his lip. Before he had a chance to reconsider, he shoved his elbow into Sasuke's side. Sasuke startled at the physical contact, turning toward Naruto with a scowl.

"It's gonna be okay, Sasuke," Naruto said, a sad smile on his lips. "I'm here for you, ya know."

Sasuke took in a sharp breath. He shook his head, the tension easing from his body as he exhaled. "Thank you, Naruto," he muttered.

Relieved, Naruto turned his attention back to the old man walking at the front. He appeared to have been looking at their short exchange from the corner of his eye. Whatever he saw, he seemed satisfied for some reason. Naruto frowned to himself but said nothing as he and Sasuke followed the old man out.

"Goodbye, Hokage-sama!" the nurse from the reception said with a bow of her head. "Thank you very much for your visit."

The Hokage grunted in response, a kind smile on his face. "Thank you for taking care of Sasuke-kun," he said before turning his attention back to the boys. "Follow me, boys."

With that, the three of them walked out of the hospital. Turning right, the Hokage led them down a series of streets, the two boys following after him in silence.

As they walked, Naruto kept his gaze focused on Sasuke from the corner of his eye. While at first Sasuke appeared calm, Naruto could see the tension building. His jaw was clenched tight once more and his eyebrows were contracted into a frown. He stared at the Hokage's back but his eyes were glazed over.

Grimacing, Naruto took a step closer until his shoulder brushed against Sasuke's. To his relief, Sasuke didn't move away. Now certain he wouldn't pull back, Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke's hand and held tight. Sasuke squeezed back, staying close to Naruto, still silent.

Holding hands as they walked, the Hokage led them to a neighborhood near the Academy. He walked down a small side street and led them up the stairs of an apartment building. Finally, he took out a key and unlocked a door, taking his shoes off before stepping inside.

"This is your new apartment, Sasuke-kun," the Hokage explained as he waited for Naruto and Sasuke to enter.

Naruto looked around the main room. It was spacious for a single person, composed of a large kitchen and a living area. From the doorway, there was a hallway leading from the kitchen toward the rest of the apartment. The furniture, while sparse, looked completely brand new. Overall, it was a nice place to live.

Still, it was impossible to ignore the reason why they were standing there. The loss of the Uchiha clan felt more real standing in a mediocre replacement for Sasuke's house.

"So this is the place?" Sasuke muttered from Naruto's side as he entered. He glanced around the room in one quick sweep before focusing on staring at his toes, eyes glazed over.

The Hokage grunted in assent. "Yes," he answered in a soothing tone. "I had all of your personal belongings transferred over. They are in boxes over in the bedroom. Feel free to arrange them however you see fit."

Sasuke nodded at that, eyes still staring at nothing. "Thank you," he said without looking up.

"Th-thank you, Gramps," Naruto said, forcing himself to look up at the old man with a grin. He felt tears beginning to build behind his eyes but he pushed them back.

The Hokage paused, seeming to mull over something he wanted to say. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. "Please don't be afraid to let me know if you need anything, Sasuke-kun," he began, voice gentle. "Someone from my office will be visiting every month to check up on you and to give you your allowance."

Sasuke nodded at that, his eyes still trained on the floor.

"Same goes for you, Naruto-kun," the old man continued, turning his attention back to Naruto. "Don't be afraid to tell me if there is a problem. I'm here to help."

"Oh, thank you, Gramps," Naruto muttered, forcing the grin to stay on his face. He hoped the Hokage would leave soon. Maintaining his smile was starting to hurt.

The Hokage hummed to himself, a frown on his face, before continuing. "Is there anything you boys need right now?" he asked.

Naruto and Sasuke shook their heads at the same time.

"Well, if you are sure..." The old man sighed to himself before rummaging inside the pockets of his long robes. After a few seconds, he pulled out an envelope and a set of keys. "Here is your allowance for the month," he said as he handed the envelope over. Sasuke took it without a word, letting go of Naruto's hand. "And here are the keys." He dropped them inside Sasuke's free hand. "I will come tomorrow to make sure everything is fine, Sasuke-kun."

At that, Sasuke reacted for the first time, his forehead creasing into a frown. "You don't have to," he stated, glancing up at the Hokage for the first time since they left the hospital.

"It will be a quick visit."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "Fine."

"Are you sure there's-"

Sasuke shook his head with a grunt, more insistent. "No. I'm fine."

Naruto bit his lip. He could tell Sasuke was more upset than he was letting on. He looked up at the old man, wishing he could tell him to leave. _Can't you see Sasuke doesn't want you around right now, Gramps?_

To his relief, the Hokage seemed to realize that because he put his shoes back on and stepped outside with a sigh. "Please come to my office if there's anything you need, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nodded in response. With that, the Hokage closed the door, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone together. Silence followed his departure, with the only noise coming from the streets outside.

Sasuke took a step inside, placing his keys and allowance atop the low table. He sat down on the sofa and stared down at his knees, eyes glazed over, saying nothing.

Naruto bit his lip. Sasuke was not supposed to look sad. Sasuke was supposed to be strong. Sasuke was supposed to be serious. Sasuke was supposed to get annoyed with Naruto and call him a loser. But Naruto couldn't ask for things to go back to normal. Nothing was ever going to be the same after Itachi-

Naruto shook his head. To have something to do, he walked inside, standing in the middle in order to inspect the main room. The kitchen was fully stocked with brand-new appliances. There was a large window with a view of the village, blinds pulled up to let in the light. Closer to the entrance was a sofa, a low table, and an empty bookcase.

"I think your apartment is bigger than mine, ya know!" Naruto said, trying to inject cheeriness into his tone. He suspected it was only partially successful. "Your kitchen is definitely-"

Before he had a chance to say anything else, he was stopped short by the sound of Sasuke sniffling. With horror, he realized the other boy had started crying, tears dripping down his face and onto his lap. Sobbing, Sasuke tried to rub the tears away but was unsuccessful.

Naruto ran to his side, unsure of what to do. _Should I hug him or something? Or would he just push me away? _Tentative, he placed the palm of his hand on Sasuke's shoulder in silent comfort.

"It's real, isn't it?" Sasuke choked out. "They're... really not here anymore, are they?" Crying harder, Sasuke bent forward, placing his forehead on top of his knees.

Naruto's stomach contracted at the reminder. Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and began to cry along with him.

**O-O-O-O-O**

Sasuke wasn't sure how long he and Naruto stayed bawling on the sofa. Eventually, however, they ran out of tears to cry. They washed their faces in the sink before exploring the rest of the apartment together.

It was bigger than he had expected. Too big. The kitchen was huge and the table at the center could seat a family of six. The refrigerator was more adequate for a family than for a person living alone. In the living room, there was a full-size sofa, a kotatsu, and an empty bookshelf. In the hallway leading into the bedroom, the linen closet had enough space for a few futon beds. The bedroom was the same: bigger than necessary, a full-size bed against the wall and a balcony that looked out into the city.

As the Hokage had promised, someone had collected Sasuke's possessions from his bedroom back at the Uchiha District. To force himself to get started, Sasuke had opened the first box to find his clothes.

With that, Naruto and Sasuke had started the tedious task of unpacking. It was a tiring chore, but it was distracting, which was all that Sasuke needed. After hours of work, it was growing dark, the boxes were empty, and Sasuke could barely move. However, even after putting everything away, his new home was still too empty and too quiet.

Exhausted, he collapsed on top of his new bed and stared up at the ceiling. He was unsurprised that Naruto joined him soon after, falling next to him with a huff.

Together, they stared up at the ceiling until the sun finished setting and they were left in darkness. With the curtains closed, he could see next to nothing, but standing up to turn on the lights sounded like a chore. If Sasuke's stomach hadn't growled in hunger, they might have done nothing else for the rest of the night

"Oh, are you hungry, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, turning his head to look at him.

Sasuke nodded, almost reluctantly. "Yeah. We haven't eaten since breakfast. I don't know what time it is now."

Naruto sat up. He squinted to look at the wall clock. "Oh, it's a little past nine."

"Nine? Really?" Sasuke sat up to join Naruto's side. He tried to read the clock but Naruto's vision must have been better. His stomach growled in protest again and he was sure he heard Naruto's chime in as well.

"There's nothing to eat here, is there?" Naruto muttered. Sasuke could see his silhouette turning to look at him.

Sasuke shook his head. "No. We could buy something at a convenience store."

Naruto hummed in thought before nodding. He stood up, stretching his arms over his head. Sasuke followed his lead. Together, they walked back to the living area.

Unlike Sasuke's bedroom, the large open window ensured the room was lit with the light from outside. He could make out the keys plus the envelope with his allowance sitting on the table. He took the keys and an assortment of bills, shoving both into his pockets. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto rummaging through his backpack for his own funds.

Without any other words exchanged, they walked outside, Sasuke locking the door behind him. He made sure to check the number before leaving, not wanting to forget where he was now meant to live. To his surprise, the Uchiha name was already engraved at the front. _I guess the Hokage really did prepare everything._

Silent, they went down the stairs, searching for a nearby convenience store. To Sasuke's relief, they found one near his apartment building. They began to walk toward it when Naruto paused, seeming to come to some realization.

"Wait, Sasuke!" he turned toward him, eyes wide and an excited glint in his eyes. "I think Ichiraku Ramen is still open! We should go eat there! It's my favorite place, ya know!"

Sasuke's heart began to beat faster upon seeing the genuine excitement on Naruto's face. He hadn't seen that expression since... He swallowed. "Ichiraku Ramen?"

"It's not far from here," Naruto explained, already turning to go the opposite way. "And it'll be fast. I don't think there's a lot of people there right now."

Sasuke shrugged and frowned to himself before following along. He remembered Naruto talking about the restaurant a few times but they had never gone there before. _If he says he likes it.._.

A few minutes later, Naruto had the two of them walking into a small ramen stand. It was empty except for a man standing behind the counter and an older girl sweeping the floor. Based on the time of day, Sasuke guessed it was almost time for them to close the shop.

"Teuchi-san! Ayame nee-chan! Nice to see you!" Naruto shouted as he walked inside.

"Oh! Naruto-kun!" The girl stopped her task to smile at Naruto, wide and sincere. "Dad and I were just starting to close shop. Are you here for dinner or to chat?"

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Before Naruto could answer, the man behind the counter interrupted. "Time for a late dinner?"

Naruto nodded, a polite smile on his face. "Yeah! It's kinda late, right?"

Unlike the nurses at the hospital, the man and the girl seemed genuinely happy to interact with Naruto. Sasuke would eat at the man's shop for their attitude if nothing else.

"Oh, yeah, Teuchi-san, this is my friend, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he sat down on a stool in front of the counter. At the introduction, the chef and the girl turned to Sasuke, staring at him in curiosity.

Sasuke blinked in surprise and he forced himself not to shuffle in place. _Did Naruto just... call me his friend? Hadn't we always called each other rivals?_

For a second, he considered denying Naruto's claim. Except... he couldn't deny his friendship, not after everything that had happened. Instead, he nodded as the man turned to him.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he said. "Nice to meet you."

The man smiled at him kindly. "It's nice to meet you too, Sasuke-kun. I'm honored to meet one of Naruto-kun's friends."

Sasuke felt blood rush to his face, happy yet slightly embarrassed. "Hn," he grunted before sitting down at Naruto's side, looking at him from the corner of his eye. _So Naruto thinks of me as his friend? _The thought sent a wave of warmth and happiness coursing through his body.

"And this is Teuchi-san. His ramen is really good, ya know!" Naruto continued, ignoring Sasuke's silence. "And that's Ayame nee-chan. She helps Teuchi-san!"

"Hello, Sasuke-kun!" The girl giggled. "I'm surprised it took so long for Naruto to bring you here. He talks about you all the time!"

"No, I don't!" Naruto's face grew red in embarrassment and annoyance.

Ayame rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to Sasuke. "Anyway, it's very nice to meet you, Sasuke-kun!" She gave him an award-winning grin before getting back to sweeping the floor.

"N-nice to meet you, too," Sasuke stuttered, unsure how else to react. After days surrounded by pitying looks, being treated as any other customer made his stomach turn over in discomfort. He tried to glare at the menu in an attempt to hide the conflicting emotions from showing on his face. It must not have been too successful because the chef gave him a confused and concerned look.

"So what would you two boys like to eat?" the chef asked as he began preparing something behind the counter. "We've already run out of some ingredients for today so I can't offer as much variety as usual. I recommend the miso ramen with chashu pork."

"Sure! One miso ramen for me!" Naruto shouted, a sincere if small smile on his face.

"Same here," Sasuke muttered.

"Of course!" The ramen chef grinned. "Coming right up!"

As they waited for dinner to be served, the two of them stared at the counter. Sasuke remembered Naruto talking about Ichiraku ramen a few times before. He had promised to take his mother there one day too. _I guess that'll never happen now._

Sasuke bit his lip to keep himself from crying as the familiar pain in his chest tightened. At his side, Naruto seemed to have remembered the promise as well. The other boy grew somber, putting his chin down on the counter.

Sasuke wanted to say something, but he doubted either of them could be cheered up. Instead, they sat in silence, waiting for their food to arrive. It was with relief that the chef placed two large bowls of ramen in front of them.

"Here you go, boys!" he said with a kind smile. "Now, if you would like more, tell me sooner rather than later! I'm going to start cleaning up."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you, Teuchi-san! Yeah! I want one more bowl, please!"

"And how about you, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I think one is fine," he mumbled.

"Well, if you change your mind, don't be afraid to order another. I still have enough ingredients for more."

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing as they turned their attention back to their food. Together, they muttered their thanks before getting started.

From the first bite, Sasuke could understand why Naruto liked the ramen from Ichiraku so much. The noodles were cooked to perfection and the broth was rich after simmering for hours. It was not overly salty, the vegetables were fresh, and the meat was tender. After days of mediocre hospital food, the ramen in front of him was the best thing Sasuke had eaten in a long while.

Suddenly starving, he shoveled the food into his mouth, slurping the noodles greedily. He was unsurprised to find himself eating almost as fast as Naruto.

"See! I told you it was good!" Naruto mumbled through a full mouth before swallowing and drinking the rest of his broth.

Mouth full of food, Sasuke could only nod in agreement.

"Can I have another bowl, please, Teuchi-san?" Naruto pushed his newly-empty bowl to the side and grinned up at the chef. He turned toward Sasuke next. "Do you want another one too, Sasuke?"

Still eating, Sasuke nodded with excitement. While he had never been fond of ramen before, he could now understand why Naruto liked the dish so much.

_I just wish Mom and Dad were here to try it._ The thought of his parents put a halt to his momentary happiness. He looked down at the bowl, empty except for a few noodles and a tiny amount of broth. In an instant, his appetite had left him and he pushed the bowl away. He swallowed.

"Teuchi-san! Sasuke says-"

"Actually," Sasuke interrupted before Naruto could order him a second bowl. "I think I'm fine with just one."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto frowning, concerned. "Are you okay, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded automatically, but he knew Naruto didn't believe him. He was starting to feel overwhelmed and there was nothing he could do. He stood up and started to walk away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Before Sasuke had taken more than half a step, he was pulled back by Naruto grabbing him by the wrist.

"Home," he said, unsure if he was referring to the Uchiha quarters or to the new apartment the Hokage had given him.

Naruto grimaced, still not letting go of his arm. "I'll go with you," he promised. "Let me finish this bowl first though, ya know."

Sasuke hesitated, feeling sweat pouring down his back as the sound of his heartbeat threatened to overwhelm him. Naruto seemed to sense his anxiety because he grimaced and tightened his grip on Sasuke's wrist. A few beats passed as Sasuke considered the situation he was in.

"Please, Sasuke," Naruto begged.

Sasuke took a sharp inhale and bit his lip. With a short nod, he returned to his seat next to Naruto.

Naruto let go of his wrist as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand, elbow on the counter. "So did you like the ramen?"

Sasuke nodded again. He wanted to say something, but his tongue refused to move. He looked down at his lap to see his shaking hands. Self-conscious, he clutched them into fists and forced himself to exhale slowly.

"If you like the miso ramen, you should try the shoyu flavor, too," Naruto continued, ignoring Sasuke's distress. "And in winter, sometimes Teuchi-san adds corn and butter to it, too! I think it's kinda weird, but it does taste good, ya know."

Sasuke grunted. Hearing Naruto rambling about ramen was more calming than he had expected. He relaxed his fists and forced himself to breathe out, slower than before. Relieved, Naruto continued rambling about ramen and the seemingly thousands of toppings. To no one's surprise, the narutomaki was his favorite.

Even after the second bowl arrived, Naruto continued his rambling, despite the food in his mouth. Sasuke didn't care; he didn't want to stop listening.

Finally, after what seemed like hours later, Naruto drank the last of the broth. He let out a sigh of satisfaction before turning and smiling at Sasuke. "I guess we should pay now. How much is that, Teuchi-san?"

The chef gave them a total. Naruto and Sasuke placed some of the money on the table and waited for Ayame to bring back their change. With their meal done, they thanked the man and girl for the food before walking away side by side.

They stopped by the convenience store before heading to the new apartment, empty, dark and lonely as it was. A few minutes later, Sasuke turned the lock and entered his new apartment. _Home sweet home._

"I think your kitchen is larger than mine, jerk," Naruto grumbled as he began to put the groceries away.

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

Naruto frowned, giving him a concerned look. "I think your kitchen is bigger than mine." He walked back to where Sasuke was still standing at the door and pulled him by the hand. "Come on, help me put everything away."

Without protest, Sasuke followed his lead, putting away everything they had bought. When they finished, they stood next to each other, unsure, as always, about what to say.

Sasuke gathered the courage to speak first. He cleared his throat. "Hey, loser," he began.

"What is it, jerk?"

"Do you..." he swallowed. "Do you want to stay over?" He looked away, hands in his pockets, his face pink.

"Oh! Uh... sure!" Naruto muttered, also looking away with a blush. "I'll just... get stuff from my apartment first, ya know."

Sasuke shook his head, afraid of being alone even for a few minutes. "Just borrow my clothes. You can go there tomorrow."

Naruto gave him a long and scrutinizing look. Sasuke forced himself not to fidget as he waited for Naruto's answer.

"Sure," Naruto finally said. "If you don't mind."

"I don't."

"Good."

"Good."

"Well... uh..." Naruto shifted in place, a pink tint to his face. "I'll go get ready for bed then, ya know."

Sasuke nodded. "Sure."

He let out a sigh of relief as he watched Naruto walking away toward his bedroom to get ready for bed. _A friend, huh?_

**O-O-O-O-O**

**A/N: These scenes were going to be in the main story of "Through Your Door" but I thought the pacing would be too slow even for me so I axed it.**

**I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. You can also add me on Discord.**


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